Valve



Aug. 10, 1926.

L. W. EGGLESTON VA LVE Filed July 30, 1923 Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

UNITED STATES P'A'TENT'OFFICE.

LEWIS W. EGGLESTON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN RADIATOR COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

VALVE.

Application filed July 30,

My invention relates broadly and generally to new and useful improvements in thermostatically operated valves, and particularly contemplates the provision of a valve to be employed as an air "vent valve for steam heating systems; that is, a valve which will automatically function to permit air to pass from a steam heating system when the steam is turned on, and to close promptly when the air has been vented and the steam reaches the valve.

The primary object of the invention, amon others which will be apparent from the fo lowing detailed description, is to provide avalve of the character above set forth, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, and which will be sensitive and efficient in operation.

The invention consists in the improved and novel construction of parts, and their aggroupment in operative combination, to be more fully described hereinafter, and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed. 7

I have fully and clearly illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, and wherein Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal cen tral section view;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation, partly in section, of an expansible-collapsible element forming one of the parts of the invention;

carrier;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of ide or centering member; ig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a guide sleeve adapted to cooperate with the member shown injFig. 4, and I v Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a supporting device for the element shown in detail sectional view of a valve i 2. lieferring to the drawings by characters of reference 1 designates generally a valve body or casing which'may be of any suitable external contour. The valve body is formed with an upper cylindrical extension 2- forming a c amber 3 communicating with the interior ,..'of the body 1, said extension being open at its upper end, as at 4..' The body. is provided with alateral inlet connection 5 for con nection'to a steam system, and with an out- 1923. Serial No. 654,598.

when desirable or necessary. The structure just mentioned comprises an expansible-collapsible element, referably in the form of a cylindrical metal ic shell 8 having annular corrugations 9 rendering the same longitudinally elastic or resilient. In the preferred form, this element 8 is closed at its upper 'end by an integral head in the form 0 a central cylindrical boss 10 having a cylindrical wall 11 coaxial with said element, and having an'end wall 12 extending transversely of the element. The opposite or lower end of the element, during manu facture thereof, is provided with 'a longitudinal flange 13, the purpose of which will be presently set forth.

At its lower end the element 8 is closed by a head or closure 14, which also constitutes a valve carrier. This head 14 is circular in top; plan view, and is provided with a circumferential, rounded bead 15, the element and head being connected by applying the flange 13 to said bead and rolling the same into close, sealed contact therewith, as shown at 16 in Fig. 1. The joint may be additionally sealed against leakage by solder or other suitable means. n

The head 14 is provided on its face toward.' the valve seat 7 with a circumferential flange 17 and a central, hollow stud 18, thereby forming an annular seat 19, in which is seated a valve disk 20, the latter being held in place by. a clamping nut 21, threaded, as at 22, onto the lower end of said stud 18. It will be seen that the element 8, together with the closure head 14 and the head 12,

char ed with any will vaporize to furnish pressure to actuate the element 8 when the latter is heated to a determined degree. A volatile liquid is selected which will volatilize at the temperature at which it is desired the valve shall operate, say, for example, 180 F. or 200 F., in which case alcohol, or a mixture of alcoholand water, may be used. The element is' evacuated and charged through a charging tube 23, sealed in a bore 24 passing through'the head 14 and the stud 18, sa1d tube being afterwards pinched together and suitably sealed, as at 25. If desired, the tube 23 may be sealed in said bore 24 by means of solder 26 deposited in a recess 27 in l the head 14, and surrounding said tube.

At the end opposite the valve, the element 8 is provided with means carried thereby for supporting and fixing the same in position in the valve body. The means just mentioned preferably consists of an annular sleeve 28 tightly. fitting the cylindrical wall 11, and secured thereto by a solder joint 29, said sleeve having at its lower end an outwardly directed, lateral flange 30, which, when the valve is assembled, rests: upon the up er edge of the extension-2 of the valve bo y. The flange 30 is clamped in position on the body by means of a cap 31 having an annular depending flan e 32 formed .with internal screw threads a apted to interenga'ge with external threads on the bod as shown at 33. The closure cap is rovi ed withan internal annular face 34 w ich seats on the upper face 'of flange 30 and by which the flange is clamped rigidly in position when the cap is screwed into assembled position.

It is to be noted that the flange 30 is located beneath the head 12,so that the boss 10 projects above the upper end of the ex tension 2, where it may be conveniently grasped when thes tructure is to be removed rom the valve body.' The cap 31 is provided with an internalchamber or recess 35 to accommodate said boss when the arts are assembled, as shown in ,Fig. 1. t is also to be noted that the element 8 and the valve carried thereby are supported solely by said flange 30, as to move freely in the casing or body.

I also provide simple and eflicient means for maintaining the valve properly centered in the body, and guiding it in itsmovement toward or away from the seat 7. This means preferably comprisesimeans arranged within the element 8, and intil iges a cylindrical member 36 coaxial wit nd extending lengthwise of said element, said member being snugly fitted within the boss 10, as at 37, and secured thereto by solder or other desird means. The opposite end of saidmember 36 from that just described, terminates adjacent, but sli htly removed from,

the valve part 14, so t at said end will not engage said part during movement of the valve.

The valve part is provided on its inner or upper face with a central, c lindrical boss 37, upon which is seated the ower end of a guide member in the form of a sleeve 38,

which telescopically cooperates with the lower end ortion of the member 36 heretofore descri ed, said sleeve 38 being preferably arranged within the member 36. The sleeve or member 36 is preferably of such diameter as to closely approach but not contact the inner bends of the corrugations of the element 8, so as not to retard the free longitudinal movement of said element, but to prevent lateral deflection of said element. The sleeve 38 is referabl of such diameter that the outer ace close y ap roaches the inner face of the member 36, but does not touch'the same, so as to avoid any engagement between said member and sleeve as might retard free movement of the element 8; The length of the sleeve 38 is preferably such that the engagement of said sleeve and member 36 is o sullic ient extent to assure proper presentation at all times of the valve to its seat.

a The device being constructed as above described, the operation thereof is as follows. the parts being shown in Fig. 1 in the position assumed when the temperature at that point in a system is below that at which the element 8 expands to close the valve: When steam is turned into '.the system it flows through the usual iping (not shown) to the inlet 5, forcing in ront of it air which may exist in the piping, this air entering the valve body through the inlet 5 and out through the outlet 6. The steam reaching the interior of the valve body flows into contact with element 8 and heats thevolatile liquid therein. As soon as the vaporization static element, its supporting means, the

valve, and the guidin means, are in a unitary structure, whic greatly facilitates assembly of the parts in, and removal from, the valve body. The unitary structure describedalso has the advantage that a ve sim 1e form of valve body may be employ at I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pate'nt'of the United States is 1. In-asdevice of the character-described,

iii

a-valve casing having ports and a valve seat, said casing having an open end portion surrounded by a shoulder, a unitary thermostatically operable valve structure bodily insertible in and removable from the casing, said valve structure comprising a tubular gexpansible-collapsible thermostatic element in said casing and having circumferential corrugations, an integral head closing one end of said element and comprising an outwardly projecting boss including a cylindrical Wall coaxial'with said element and an end wall extending transversely of said element, a flange member carried 'by said boss at a point removed from the end wall thereof, said flange being arranged to rest on said shoulder and said boss to project beyond the open end portion of the casing to constitute a hand grasp, means for securing said flange on said shoulder, and a closure for the opposite end of said element and carrying a valve cooperable with said seat.

2. In a device of the character described, a valve casing having ports and a valve seat, said casing having an hpen end portion surrounded by a shoulder, a unitary thermostatically operable valve structure bodily insertible in and removable from said casing, said structure comprising a tubular expansible-collap'sible thermostatic element in said casing and havin circumferential corrugations, an integral liead closing one end of said element and comprising an outwardly projecting boss including a, cylindrical wall coaxial with said element and an end wall extending transversely of said element, a flange member carried by said boss at a point removed from the end wall thereof and including an annular sleeve secured to said cylindrical wall and provided at its lower edge portion with an outwardly directed lateral flange, said flange being arran ed'to rest on said shoulder and said boss pro ecting beyond said open end portion of roundedby a shoulder, a unitary thermostatically operable valve structure bodily insertibe in and removable from said. casing, said structure comprising a tubular expansible-collapsible thermostatic element in said casing and having circumferential corrugations, an integral head closing one end of said element and formed with an outwardly projecting hollow boss, a flange member carried by said boss at a oint removed from the end thereof, said ange being arranged to rest on said shoulder and saidboss to project beyond said open end 05 portion of the casing and constituting a hand grasp, a closure cap separate from said element and closing said casing and securing said flange on said shoulder, a closure for the opposite end of said element and carrying a valve cooperable with said seat, an internal projection on said closure, and means within said element forguiding said valve'relative toits seat, said means including a sleeve rigidly secured in said hollow boss; and a second sleeve secured to said projection and telescopically coacting with said first-named sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name,

LEWIS w. EGGLES'I-ON. 

